Post Dannielle, Whitson Kathleen, Parfitt Gaynor
Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition, and Activity, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, City East Campus, Frome Road, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, 5001, Australia, 61 8 830 21212.
JMIR Aging. 2025 May 12;8:e60297. doi: 10.2196/60297.
Australia's aging population is looking to age in place, accessing care alternatives external to the traditional model of residential aged care facilities. This evaluation is situated in a Social Day Program, delivered by an aged care organization. It is designed to cater for people living with dementia, located in an environment equipped with new technologies including age-specific interactive computer gaming, social robots, sensory stimulation, and virtual reality. The technologies are designed to support older adults, enabling them to stay connected and maintain physical and cognitive functioning, independence, and quality of life.
This project aimed to undertake a multifaceted evaluation of the implementation of the new technologies, including an exploration of the barriers and enablers to uptake. The key issue is how to enhance the potential for optimizing the use of these technologies in the Social Day Program environment, to help inform decision-making regarding the implementation of these technologies at the organization's other sites, and future investment in such technologies by aged care organizations generally.
Observation of technology use within the organization was conducted over a 16-week period. Surveys and semistructured interviews were used to collect information from staff related to their experiences with the technology. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Data were triangulated across the sample.
Forty-eight observation periods were completed, totaling 126.5 observation hours. Technology use by clients was observed on 24 occasions, for 22 (17.4% of the observation time) hours. Nineteen staff completed surveys. Nearly three-quarters (n=14) of the staff perceived there to be barriers to the clients' use of technology, and 18 (95%) staff reported that they assisted clients to use the technology. Ten (53%) staff reported receiving training to use the technology and feeling confident in their knowledge of the technology to assist clients in using it. Twelve staff members participated in an interview. Key themes identified from the interview data were: technology has potential but is not for everyone, incorporating the subtheme technology as a placation tool, staff knowledge and confidence, and technology functionality and support.
This evaluation identified that technology was not being used for the purposes of enrichment or experience enhancement, nor extensively. Multiple barriers to the implementation and sustained use of the technology items were identified. Recommendations to improve implementation and promote sustained use of technology, based on the findings of this evaluation and evidence from the literature, may apply to other organizations seeking to implement these technologies in similar programs.
澳大利亚人口老龄化，人们希望能在自己家中养老，寻求传统养老院模式之外的护理选择。本次评估针对一家老年护理机构提供的社会日托项目。该项目旨在为患有痴呆症的人群提供服务，其环境配备了新技术，包括适合老年人的互动电脑游戏、社交机器人、感官刺激和虚拟现实技术。这些技术旨在为老年人提供支持，使他们能够保持联系，维持身体和认知功能、独立性及生活质量。
本项目旨在对新技术的实施进行多方面评估，包括探索采用新技术的障碍和促进因素。关键问题在于如何提高在社会日托项目环境中优化使用这些技术的可能性，为该机构在其他场所实施这些技术以及老年护理机构未来对这类技术的投资提供决策依据。
在16周内对机构内的技术使用情况进行观察。通过问卷调查和半结构化访谈收集工作人员有关其技术使用体验的信息。采用主题分析法对访谈进行分析。对整个样本的数据进行了三角验证。
共完成48个观察时段，总计126.5个观察小时。观察到客户使用技术24次，时长为22小时（占观察时间的17.4%）。19名工作人员完成了问卷调查。近四分之三（n = 14）的工作人员认为客户使用技术存在障碍，18名（95%）工作人员报告称他们协助客户使用技术。10名（53%）工作人员报告接受过使用技术的培训，并且对自己协助客户使用技术的知识有信心。12名工作人员参与了访谈。从访谈数据中确定的关键主题包括：技术有潜力但并非适用于所有人，包含子主题“将技术作为安抚工具”、工作人员的知识和信心以及技术功能与支持。
本次评估发现，技术并未用于丰富或提升体验的目的，且使用并不广泛。确定了技术项目实施和持续使用的多个障碍。基于本次评估结果和文献证据提出的改进技术实施和促进持续使用的建议，可能适用于其他寻求在类似项目中实施这些技术的组织。
